USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Mindful]

Regarding Gracie; the UK Sky News sent a British journalist up to Paradise, to survey the devastating aftermath, and give a report on it. We saw on our TV's all the burnt out cars, and remnants of houses sticking up all around the area. He made an interesting observation that, it took months if not years to destroy a city like Raqqa, yet nature needed only two and a half hours to reduce a sizeable town like Paradise to virtually nothing.

Will it all be rebuilt?

Well probably most of the homeowners and businesses were insured and the owners still own the land that the structures were sitting on. So probably some, maybe a lot, of them will choose to rebuild instead of starting all over somewhere else and leaving behind land of no little value to anybody but them. Those who lost loved ones or who were especially traumatized might not consider that an option for them.

Of course photos and memorabilia and items especially cherished by the owners can never be replaced when they are destroyed by something like that.

As an aside, that may or may not be relative to the people of Paradise,. . .

Hombre (my hubby) was an all lines general insurance adjuster qualified to work complicated and major losses. And he was on the front lines to work the Los Alamos Cerro Grande fire in 2000 that took out more than 400 homes. A lot of those homes were pretty mundane, once government housing dating back to the 1940's and 50's before Los Alamos, once a closed high security government community, was opened up to be just like any other town. The homeowners did rebuild and were able to rebuild with much nicer homes than the ones that were destroyed. So the folks whose homes were spared were actually a little miffed that they didn't get in on that insurance bonanza too.

There was no loss of life in Los Alamos though--there was time for people to get out. Many died in Paradise.

A tragic loss. Can not be replaced.

 

[007]

Checking in.
It's been snowing here a fair amount, we've gotten about 10 inches this last week, or so. Seems like every time I get my trails packed down it snows another couple of inches and I have to slog through it, again. The temps have been in the teens, mostly, but are predicted to rise close to 40 over the next couple of days.
I've been getting out and visiting a bit over the holidays. My brother-by-another-mother, with whom I usually spend Christmas, took a big hit at home from the earthquake. One corner of his house dropped about a cinder block and a half and the whole place is tipped to the side. It isn't totaled but will take some extensive repair work to set it right again. Also, everywhere you go there are cracks and chips. A couple of businesses have still not re-opened and there are some schools that will also not be repaired until later in the year.
I finally broke down and visited the doctor. Living with pain is exhausting and I'm tired of limping about like a zombie. So far, the neurologist confirmed that the tingling and numbness in my hands is carpal tunnel but he saw no indication of permanent damage. I'm wearing wrist braces most of the time and will have a cortisone injection in a few weeks. I've dealt with carpal tunnel before it is definitely something I can overcome.
The hip is another matter entirely. Xrays indicate "significant" arthritis. I'll see an orthopedist this coming Thursday and hope to set up a pain management program. There's on other issue, but I will wait until it has been positively identified before making it any bigger. Just cross your hooks.
Ain't is great, a bunch of old folks discussing their aches and pains. I am now part of the tribe.

Awww....I love having you as part of the OldFolks Tribe! You might not be thrilled about it, but misery loves company!
Tumeric. Eat it. Lots of it. Put it in everything. And it helps that it tastes good, lol. My RA is really acting up this past month due to the stress..and cold weather doesn't help. But so far, I am not completely disabled. I like to think the Tumeric helps.

Hugs and more hugs!

Thanks, Gracie, and many warm hugs back atcha!
Yup, I'll be adding turmeric to my dietary regimen, also garlic. Garlic is supposed to be helpful with the blood pressure issue, too. And, since no one can get close enough, I'll avoid colds and flu! LOL. I always liked "Mork and Mindy" because the aliens aged backwards. Somehow, that seems a lot more fair then getting old and realizing all the time and energy you wasted getting there!
I'm off to the orthopedist, I'll be back to visit again later.
Happy New Year to you, Mr. G, and Anne.

I take a garlic capsule with my vitamins every morning. Have been for a few years now.

 

[peach174]

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

 

[Foxfyre]

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

Oh wow Peach. So sorry you had such a miserable holidays. I was about to send out a St. Bernard or something looking for you because you usually don't go so long between check ins. But glad your issues were something you will get better from. Are you sure it was stomach flu? Usually that doesn't last so long.

I wondered how much of this winter storm got to your corner of Arizona. I looked at the radar now and then and figured you did get some.

Albuquerque proper got 2 inches to 10 inches total depending on where in the city you live--it was hard to actually measure because of the strong east winds. The mountains and mountain communities are measuring their snowfall in feet. Just heard that the Sandia Peak ski area is closed due to snow. We had to cancel our 42 game today because streets, walkways driveways etc. are still iced over and neither couple thought the game was worth the risk,

It is supposed to get above freezing for the first time in over a week tomorrow and the warm up will continue into the weekend, so hopefully we'll get thawed out enough to get out and about. Everybody is getting cabin fever.

 

[saveliberty]

One of the feral cats was enjoying the cat heater bed yesterday. I think it may be part of the reason for a mild winter so far. Sort of like washing the car so it can rain.

 

[peach174]

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

Oh wow Peach. So sorry you had such a miserable holidays. I was about to send out a St. Bernard or something looking for you because you usually don't go so long between check ins. But glad your issues were something you will get better from. Are you sure it was stomach flu? Usually that doesn't last so long.

I wondered how much of this winter storm got to your corner of Arizona. I looked at the radar now and then and figured you did get some.

Albuquerque proper got 2 inches to 10 inches total depending on where in the city you live--it was hard to actually measure because of the strong east winds. The mountains and mountain communities are measuring their snowfall in feet. Just heard that the Sandia Peak ski area is closed due to snow. We had to cancel our 42 game today because streets, walkways driveways etc. are still iced over and neither couple thought the game was worth the risk,

It is supposed to get above freezing for the first time in over a week tomorrow and the warm up will continue into the weekend, so hopefully we'll get thawed out enough to get out and about. Everybody is getting cabin fever.

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

Oh wow Peach. So sorry you had such a miserable holidays. I was about to send out a St. Bernard or something looking for you because you usually don't go so long between check ins. But glad your issues were something you will get better from. Are you sure it was stomach flu? Usually that doesn't last so long.

I wondered how much of this winter storm got to your corner of Arizona. I looked at the radar now and then and figured you did get some.

Albuquerque proper got 2 inches to 10 inches total depending on where in the city you live--it was hard to actually measure because of the strong east winds. The mountains and mountain communities are measuring their snowfall in feet. Just heard that the Sandia Peak ski area is closed due to snow. We had to cancel our 42 game today because streets, walkways driveways etc. are still iced over and neither couple thought the game was worth the risk,

It is supposed to get above freezing for the first time in over a week tomorrow and the warm up will continue into the weekend, so hopefully we'll get thawed out enough to get out and about. Everybody is getting cabin fever.

I don't know for sure what it really was but I haven't been this ill in a very long time and never at Christmas time.
It was a doozy of some type of flu & cold.
It took almost 2 weeks to get over but the important thing is I Made It.
One of those things" what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" type scenarios .

 

[Foxfyre]

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

Oh wow Peach. So sorry you had such a miserable holidays. I was about to send out a St. Bernard or something looking for you because you usually don't go so long between check ins. But glad your issues were something you will get better from. Are you sure it was stomach flu? Usually that doesn't last so long.

I wondered how much of this winter storm got to your corner of Arizona. I looked at the radar now and then and figured you did get some.

Albuquerque proper got 2 inches to 10 inches total depending on where in the city you live--it was hard to actually measure because of the strong east winds. The mountains and mountain communities are measuring their snowfall in feet. Just heard that the Sandia Peak ski area is closed due to snow. We had to cancel our 42 game today because streets, walkways driveways etc. are still iced over and neither couple thought the game was worth the risk,

It is supposed to get above freezing for the first time in over a week tomorrow and the warm up will continue into the weekend, so hopefully we'll get thawed out enough to get out and about. Everybody is getting cabin fever.

We got 5" of snow for Jan. 1st very rare here.
Woke up to 12° this morning.

I haven't been here since the Sun. before Christmas because I've been sick with this stomach flu that's going around.
Everything hurt, including the roots of my hair.
I thought that was just an expression, till I actually experienced it.

Poor Mr. P was left with picking up his dinner from take out.
I'm sure he's pretty sick of different types of salads by now.
He had a good home cooked Christmas dinner of turkey with all the fixings on Christmas day from the Eagles.
Me I couldn't keep much down.
I'm still really weak, but recovering slowly.

I hope everybody had a good Christmas and happy new year.

Oh wow Peach. So sorry you had such a miserable holidays. I was about to send out a St. Bernard or something looking for you because you usually don't go so long between check ins. But glad your issues were something you will get better from. Are you sure it was stomach flu? Usually that doesn't last so long.

I wondered how much of this winter storm got to your corner of Arizona. I looked at the radar now and then and figured you did get some.

Albuquerque proper got 2 inches to 10 inches total depending on where in the city you live--it was hard to actually measure because of the strong east winds. The mountains and mountain communities are measuring their snowfall in feet. Just heard that the Sandia Peak ski area is closed due to snow. We had to cancel our 42 game today because streets, walkways driveways etc. are still iced over and neither couple thought the game was worth the risk,

It is supposed to get above freezing for the first time in over a week tomorrow and the warm up will continue into the weekend, so hopefully we'll get thawed out enough to get out and about. Everybody is getting cabin fever.

I don't know for sure what it really was but I haven't been this ill in a very long time and never at Christmas time.
It was a doozy of some type of flu & cold.
It took almost 2 weeks to get over but the important thing is I Made It.
One of those things" what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" type scenarios .

Well hopefully so. But mercy. That's a tough way to get strength.

 

[Dajjal]

In spite of having a new, fast fibre optic connection to the internet, I still cannot load the following page.

Illustration Software for Windows - Free Software, Apps, and Games

This is a bit annoying because I want to download some free graphics software, but the page freezes and says it cannot run because of a long running script. Can anyone else load the page, or think of a reason why I cannot.
Maybe my computer is not fast enough to utilise the fibre optic connection?

 

[Dajjal]

 

[Montrovant]

In spite of having a new, fast fibre optic connection to the internet, I still cannot load the following page.

Illustration Software for Windows - Free Software, Apps, and Games

This is a bit annoying because I want to download some free graphics software, but the page freezes and says it cannot run because of a long running script. Can anyone else load the page, or think of a reason why I cannot.
Maybe my computer is not fast enough to utilise the fibre optic connection?

I think a script issue would mean something other than internet speed.

 

[Foxfyre]

In spite of having a new, fast fibre optic connection to the internet, I still cannot load the following page.

Illustration Software for Windows - Free Software, Apps, and Games

This is a bit annoying because I want to download some free graphics software, but the page freezes and says it cannot run because of a long running script. Can anyone else load the page, or think of a reason why I cannot.
Maybe my computer is not fast enough to utilise the fibre optic connection?

Those long-running scripts are often something you don't want in your computer. I think I would be wary of the site.

 

[Montrovant]

I thought I'd just leave this here.

 

[Foxfyre]

A friend of mine formerly from Kansas and now in New York spent Christmas with inlaws in India. At the airport as they were coming home, he got permission to take a photo of a fellow traveler. Good looking guy, but note the shoes. . .

 

[Ringel05]

Just got back home from having the port put in for chemo which is supposed to start on Tuesday now, the general surgeon cut his vacation short by a couple of days to install the port. The problem was last evening, just before closing time the hospital billing called and told us we would have to come up with $1600 or they wouldn't even schedule the procedure, we finally agree to $500 so we could go forward. Also have to come up with another $500 on Tuesday to start the chemo.......

 

[Foxfyre]

Just got back home from having the port put in for chemo which is supposed to start on Tuesday now, the general surgeon cut his vacation short by a couple of days to install the port. The problem was last evening, just before closing time the hospital billing called and told us we would have to come up with $1600 or they wouldn't even schedule the procedure, we finally agree to $500 so we could go forward. Also have to come up with another $500 on Tuesday to start the chemo.......

That's just wrong. Nobody should be denied necessary medical care because of inability to pay.

 

[Ringel05]

Just got back home from having the port put in for chemo which is supposed to start on Tuesday now, the general surgeon cut his vacation short by a couple of days to install the port. The problem was last evening, just before closing time the hospital billing called and told us we would have to come up with $1600 or they wouldn't even schedule the procedure, we finally agree to $500 so we could go forward. Also have to come up with another $500 on Tuesday to start the chemo.......

That's just wrong. Nobody should be denied necessary medical care because of inability to pay.

Yeah, we agree, need to teach the wife to speak Spanish....... I have to recontact charities that never called back, assume they were closed or very short staffed over the holidays and will figure out how to set up a GoFundMe page this weekend. I'm guesstimating we'll need around $20K minimum for the entire year (medical and daily/monthly expense shortfalls).

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Just got back home from having the port put in for chemo which is supposed to start on Tuesday now, the general surgeon cut his vacation short by a couple of days to install the port. The problem was last evening, just before closing time the hospital billing called and told us we would have to come up with $1600 or they wouldn't even schedule the procedure, we finally agree to $500 so we could go forward. Also have to come up with another $500 on Tuesday to start the chemo.......

That's just wrong. Nobody should be denied necessary medical care because of inability to pay.

Yeah, we agree, need to teach the wife to speak Spanish....... I have to recontact charities that never called back, assume they were closed or very short staffed over the holidays and will figure out how to set up a GoFundMe page this weekend. I'm guesstimating we'll need around $20K minimum for the entire year (medical and daily/monthly expense shortfalls).

apply for 'Charity Care' thru the hospital billing office. If they say they don't have such a thing, then you just have to keep pestering them. Also talk to the DR that is using that hospital to see if the DR may have some pull on your behalf or if the DR can go thru a different hospital that does offer care at no or low cost.

Unfortunately the battles of Cancer (or any serious illness or injury) isn't just the physical, mental & emotional...….but the financial as well.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I really do love you guys.

And we continue pray and/or send good vibes and/or positive thoughts and/or keep vigil for:

Harper
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
Rod, GW's partner,
Kat's sister,
Dana, Foxfyre's friend recovering from heart transplant
Strength and stamina for gallantwarrior in his relocation project,
Wellness for Foxfyre's sister and Hombre's sister
Saveliberty's mom for successful surgery and quick healing
TheLiq and family who need prayers and positive vibes now
Drifter's friend's mother now homeless
Montrovant in difficult transition
Nosmo's mom back in the hospital
Drifter for smooth sailing in her new job.
JustAnotherNut for strength and wisdom dealing with challenges.
Beautress's friend EJ undergoing chemo.
Gracie & Mr. G for positive trend to continue.
Ringel and Mrs. R facing serious health challenges with resulting financial challenges.
GallantWarrior for healing and wellness.
All those we love and care about who aren't on the list.

And we keep the porch light on so those who have been away can find their way back and we rejoice when they do!!!

On this day in history, January 4, 1847, Samuel Colt sold his first Colt Walker model revolver pistol to the U.S. government, the first revolver to be purchased en masse by the army. I couldn't find what the price of one was in 1847, but the ones that survived to present times fetch anywhere from $900k to more than $1 million at auctions.

On January 5, 1875, the landmark Palais Garnier opera house opened in Paris. Still stunning in design and sheer magnificence, it seats almost 2,000 and remains in operation to this day.

 

[Foxfyre]

I was headed to bed more than a half hour ago. . . .

 

[Mindful]

Just got back home from having the port put in for chemo which is supposed to start on Tuesday now, the general surgeon cut his vacation short by a couple of days to install the port. The problem was last evening, just before closing time the hospital billing called and told us we would have to come up with $1600 or they wouldn't even schedule the procedure, we finally agree to $500 so we could go forward. Also have to come up with another $500 on Tuesday to start the chemo.......

How many sessions of it will she have to undergo, Ringel?